Warning: spoilers for both versions of Speak No Evil are in play. If you haven’t seen either variant yet, and want to be surprised, you’ve been warned.
Though it may be one of the more subdued successes of the 2024 movie schedule , Universal and Blumhouse’s Speak No Evil has started to make a name for itself with horror fans. That’s not always a good thing though, as the director/co-writer Speak No Evil’s unsettling original form Christian Tafdrup was, absolutely, not a fan. In fact, he had some very critical words on the film in general, particularly the difference between the endings of the two pictures.
What The Original Speak No Evil’s Director Thinks The Remake Gets Wrong
As a guest on Danish radio’s Kulturen (via World of Reel), Tafdrup gave his two cents when it came to how the James McAvoy-led film sort of twisted the intent of his 2022 source material. More specifically, the man who helped co-create the world that started it all had this culturally tinged angle to offer:
I don’t know what it is about Americans, but they are brought up for a heroic tale, where the good must win over the bad, and this version of the film cultivates that. … [The audience] were completely over-enthusiastic and clapped, laughed and whooped. It was like being at a rock concert. … people…left my film traumatized.
Christian Tafdrup - Kulturen
To the right person, that critique must hurt more than taking a box cutter to the face. Especially with Tafdrup comparing the sum total experiences of the pictures with such a sharp contrast. After learning just how different the two experiences are, I have to admit I was floored in the difference between the Speak No Evil I caught in theaters last weekend, and the experience that inspired its creation. And to dig deeper into that paradox of thought, we’re going to have to get into the gory details of just what happened.
How Speak No Evil’s Ending Differs Between The Original And The Remake
So for those of you who weren’t a part of Speak No Evil’s modestly successful opening, this is the last chance to turn back before I give away the game. Which is a good time for you to either head out to the movies to see Universal/Blumhouse’s revamp, or to see the original through digital rental/Shudder’s streaming library.
Reading Christian Tafdrup’s further reaction the differences in Evil presented through both movies, it helped me realize that it was probably a good thing that James McAvoy avoided watching the OG Speak No Evil. The ending of the American remake is a comparatively cheery affair, especially when compared to Tafdrup’s recollection of his original finale, as follows:
When I saw the film yesterday, I could see that they would never succeed with a film where the characters are stoned to death, as they do in our film. These people [in the U.S. version] must fight for their family and defeat the bad guys […] It is a kind of happy ending, and it is so deep in their culture that America must be able to handle it all.
Christian Tafdrup - Kulturen
I can’t argue that Speak No Evil ‘24 does end in a way that’s more typical for an “American Remake,” despite James McAvoy's critically praised performance still managing to be chilling as all get out. Compared to the central Danish couple meeting that vicious fate laid out above, the characters of Louise and Ben Dalton (Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy) cutting through their captors and escaping with young Ant (Dan Hough) in tow does feel like a “happy” ending.
Then again, I’m kind of glad that there’s such a stark contrast between the two films, because at least it gives the remake a reason to exist. Highlighting such differences between these versions of Speak No Evil’s story could even compel people who enjoyed the remake to go back to the original and compare the two. Which, hopefully, could make up for this entire experience in its own right, with Christian Tafdrup.
If you’ve somehow read this story without seeing either version of Speak No Evil, it’s ok. You can still enjoy the 2024 remake in theaters, with the 2022 original currently streaming through Shudder. And if you’re scared about not knowing what upcoming horror movies are on the horizon, they’re just a stone’s throw away through our guide to what’s waiting for you in the darkness.
